Winston-Salem, N.C. — Tyler Cavanaugh adulated Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick and Gerry McNamara. He was a fan of that 2003 Syracuse team that won a national championship and immersed an entire region in communal basketball bliss. On occasion, a high school friend from Jamesville-DeWitt would invite Cavanaugh to SU games at the Carrier Dome, where Cavanaugh would cheer as fervently for the Orange as everybody else in the building.

"I've always grown up around Syracuse basketball," Cavanaugh said. "So it's going to be weird being on the other side."

He is at Wake Forest now, in his second season as a Demon Deacon. Cavanaugh, recruited by the Orange, instead chose a path down Tobacco Road where he could play immediately and build a program with a bountiful class of basketball recruits.

He came to Wake with six other freshmen last season, a typically wide-eyed basketball rookie with a lot to learn and a will to prosper. At 6-foot-9, he plays a prototypical 'stretch four,' where he can extend to the 3-point line and draw defenders with a shooting stroke his coach believes in.

Cavanaugh has started all 20 games for Wake Forest this year. He averages 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds for a 14-6 Demon Deacons program striving to regain the swagger of eras past.

"There's never been a question in my mind about his ability to have an impact at our level," said Wake coach Jeff Bdzelik. "He's a dedicated worker, a skilled, tough-minded guy. What else can you say about him?"

Tonight, Cavanaugh and his Demon Deacons will face Syracuse at 9 p.m. in the Joel Coliseum, a place where Wake has won 13 straight games. Cavanaugh spent last summer working out with the Orange, with his high school teammate and close friend Dajuan Coleman. He would run, lift weights and play pickup ball with SU players, spending a productive few weeks pushing his body to prime physical condition.

When he came to Wake, Cavanaugh weighed 230 pounds, a weight he still carries. But the difference, these days, is the composition of those pounds. After he cut sugar and other excesses from his diet, his body fat slipped from 11 or 12 percent to 6 percent. His summer workouts reshaped his body. His shoulders gained definition. His lungs expanded. His legs acquired extra lift and endurance.

"He's transformed his body. He has a better basketball body now and it's definitely shown major improvements in his game," teammate and classmate Aaron Rountree III said. "Stronger, tougher, plays harder,"

"He's a better, quicker, stronger, faster basketball athlete," Bdzelik said. "He has worked extremely hard with our strength coach here — our athletic performance basketball coach. He can move around the court more efficiently and defend a little bit better because of that."

Bdzelik demonstrated a point about Cavanaugh's restructured body with a play last week vs. Notre Dame, when Cavanaugh attacked the offensive glass not once, not twice, but three times in one possession. That determination, Cavanaugh said, would not have been possible last year when he was caught unaware by the speed of the game and the conditioning it demanded.

Tyler Cavanaugh (34) of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons attempts a 3-point shot during first half action against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the LJVM Coliseum on January 15, 2014 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Demon Deacons defeated the Wolfpack 70-69. Brian Westerholt | Sports On Film

"I just feel a lot better moving up and down the floor," he said. "Just being able to beat people down the floor and have that extra burst to be able to get a rebound is something I've noticed this year. I'm never going to be the most explosive athlete; it's just having that extra burst of energy late. And being in better shape is big to make shots."

Cavanaugh referenced the shooting evolution of Trevor Cooney to underline the importance of conditioning. Like Cooney, Cavanaugh struggled last season to sink 3-point shots on a consistent basis. Bdzelik would argue that playing with young teammates learning how and when to pass the ball to open shooters contributed to Cavanaugh sinking just 24 percent of his threes.

But Cavanaugh, too, assessed the flaws in last season's performance and determined that better endurance would solve plenty of his shooting problems.

"Just being able to get your feet set quicker and being ready quicker, that's all being in better condition," Cavanaugh said. "Having your legs to be able to get your shot off quicker. I've noticed a difference. My percentage isn't through the roof. I started out slow, but I've shot it better as of late. It's definitely being able to get the extra step to get your feet right to be able to go straight up."

Rountree said he's noticed a new confidence in Cavanaugh, a sureness that shows with every "big shot he takes and big shot he makes." Cavanaugh is shooting 33 percent from 3-point range. He's made 6 of his last 10 shots from beyond the arc.

"You have to honor his ability to shoot the basketball," Bdzelik said. "He's a smart player. He's gritty, he's tough. And he's skilled."

He will see plenty of familiar faces tonight. His dad will be in Winston-Salem all week to catch three straight Wake home games. His mother and sister are scheduled to fly in for the Syracuse game.

"He's been looking pretty good," Coleman said. "I saw him on TV a couple times. He scored a couple points, helped his team win."

His familiarity with the Syracuse program, coupled with his desire to perform, could handcuff Cavanaugh tonight. Friends and family have been discussing this game since Syracuse joined the ACC. For the first time, Cavanaugh will be actively attempting to prevent his favorite childhood team from winning a basketball game.

"That's the thing," Cavanaugh said. "I gotta approach it like it's just another game. Same court. Five guys. Same game. I just gotta play. If I put too much pressure on myself, I'll take myself out of the game."

"There's always that," Bdzelik said. "Whenever someone goes home for the first time, you want it so bad. But that's all part of the gig. He's just gonna have to relax and play through it. The big thing is not to think about it too much. You can't be robotic or paralyzed by thought."